It's been a crazy couple days.  Couldn't sleep Sunday night.  Didn't get to bed until 2 am after the game Monday.  Tried to make it to Chapel Hill Tuesday, and had a workshop for work in Greensboro today.  I've been all over the Triangle, Triad, and Eastern part of the state in the two days following a national championship win.  Still trying to detox...
But what a way to do it!  I'm exhausted but thrilled. 

First some business: HBG made it to the Dean Dome yesterday for the celebration, and hopefully you'll get to see her pictures.  In the following days, I'll count down the top ten stories of the school year and give you a piece about each player of this year's men's basketball team.  Now my championship reaction.

This is why we are fans.  Only one team in the 300+ Division I teams is the champion.  Only 65 get NCAA bids.  Every one of those teams' seasons ends in heartbreak.  Except one.  The NCAA Champion.  I realize the NIT Champions may be happy at season's end, but that's not where they wanted to be in the first place.
To put the NCAA Championship in proper perspective, think about this:  Dean Smith was only able to get two in his illustrious career.  It was a different time, but that's saying something.  Coach Smith built this program into a national power, and was only able to grab two NCAA Championships.  That's not a knock on him, it's a testament to the difficulty of the task.
When the team fell in the 2004 tournament, Corrie (not yet HBG) called me.  I wasn't disappointed the Heels wouldn't win the 2004 national championship.  I was sad I would have to wait 6-7 months to see the team play again.  I knew this year would be special.  So did you, in all likelihood.
The talk began at Midnight Madness.  It wasn't 'if' we win the title,' it was 'when.'
The pieces were in place.  Marvin gave us depth off the bench.  Quentin and Melvin spelled Raymond, one of the best point guards ever at the school, and Rashad.
David was the new Jackie, and Reyshawn the new David.
We knew this was a special team.
There's a reason I couldn't watch the second half of the Villanova game.  If not this year, it was going to be a while.  Our best shot in an era where the NBA robs college of developing players, our team was an anomaly.  Stars that make up a team.
I'm not going to get in to the team vs. talent argument.  That's not something you heard from local writers (and I don't mean AP writers.  They don't count as local).  That's something the national writers baked up for suspense, as if the game needed any.
You don't beat Duke if you aren't a team.
You don't win 5 games with our schedule (much less 33) if you aren't a team.
You don't beat UConn at Hartford, sweep Maryland, and win 4 NCAA tournament games of increasing difficulty if you aren't a team.

So this team brings home the hardware.  The national championship.  2005 NCAA Champion North Carolina Tar Heels.  Sounds good, doesn't it?

To Jackie, Melvin and Jawad:  Thank you for sticking with it.  We all suffered with you, but no one knows the emotions that you went through.  You could have gone elsewhere.  The North Carolina team you played on as freshmen was nothing like you expected.  You expected to be in Final Fours every year.  That didn't happen.  You certainly didn't expect 20 losses.  After a lot of soul-searching, you stayed and built a national champion.  For this, every Tar Heel fan is thankful.  Good luck and God bless to you.

Now things happen that we heard rumblings about.  Rashad will test the waters.  Raymond probably will.  Sean May may, and Marvin might.  I don't have any more insight than you, but you get the feeling that the 2005-06 team will be a lot different as defending champions.
Selfishly we hope they'll all stay.  Selfishly we want to see our team keep its stars, and keep winning.  But the guys have to put themselves first. 
Rashad would probably stay if his mother wasn't ill with cancer.  He wants the best treatment for her.  Can we blame him?
Sean's stock is as high as it will probably be.  The MOP of the tournament is the name everyone is talking about.  He's going to listen to his father.  Can we blame him?
Raymond stayed one year more than he originally intended.  He led a team of superstars to the national title.  He made the biggest play of the tournament.  If he's a lottery pick or close, he's going to cash in.  Can we blame him?
Marvin Williams has been talked about as the highest pick in the draft.  He was talked about last year.  He loves college, but every game he plays, he opens himself up to injury.  He's high on the draft board.  The sooner you go league, the sooner you get the big paycheck after the rookie contract expires.  He sees the future.  Can we blame him?
No, we can't blame them, because they delivered the national championship to a group of fans that are extremely hard to please.
We should appreciate the banner we have, wish the guys good luck, and trust Roy as he builds a team that will consist of interchangeable parts, and compete for the trophy every single year.
To the 2004-05 Tar Heels, thank you.  To Roy, thank you.
We can't wait for Midnight Madness.